UNITED NATIONS, Sept 29 (APP):Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi called for building bridges of understanding between cultures and societies, as he voiced Pakistan’s grave concern over the continued misrepresentation of Islam in western countries.
Addressing the Annual Coordination Meeting of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), he said Pakistan has played a leading role in opposing the growing tide of xenophobia and Islamophobia across many parts of the world, stressing the need for dialogue and interaction.
The foreign minister also voiced his serious concern over the gross violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms in Palestine and Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
“The situation in Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir remains a smoldering tragedy,” he said.
“The Kashmiri freedom struggle already counts over 90,000 martyrs, including women and children to its cause.”
“The report of UN High Commissioner for Human Rights,” Qureshi added, documented a systematic violation of fundamental human rights of the Kashmiri people, including impunity for violators and lack of access to justice as the key human rights challenges in the occupied territory.
Welcoming the decision of the OIC Contact Group to endorse the call for establishing a Commission of Inquiry contained in that report, he thanked the leaders of Islamic Ummah for their steadfast and abiding support to the legitimate struggle of the Kashmiri people.
Friday’s meeting, which was held on the sidelines of the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly taking place in New York, adopted the report of the Contact Group on Jammu and Kashmir. which renewed OIC’s support to the UN-recognized right of self-determination of the Kashmiri people.
He concluded by expressing Pakistan’s commitment to earnestly work with members of the OIC for the realization of a shared vision of prosperous, and peaceful future.